"Marts"ing Along and Music in Lyon
Look at these floors!!! For anyone who has been following this blog from December 2005 you will know what they used to look like - and for those of you who have not done - please have a look at the December 2005 Blog in the archives and you will see how much of an improvement it is!
Thank you immensely to those who contributed to this renovation project in the village of Marts. There is still work to be done but with Spring around the corner the village will get back into action . I will continue with updated photos as I receive them.
So Lyon was phenomenal as expected. The good old favourites of mine (The Armenian Navy Band) were as good as ever. I got to hear them play the Natural Seeds album for the first time and also heard an accapella version of Bzdik Zinvor which I had never done. Arto sang while the entire rest of the Navy Band held one note like a duduk in the background. Each and every concert is unique and it is always so exciting to see what they come up with. A thanks to Arman Jelalyan and Vahagn Hayrapetyan (drummer and keyboardist) for their rhythmic dancing during the Arto signature beer bottle and saucepan rendition....It was a sight not to be forgotten. I got to explore Lyon with them as well as visit the Armenian Centre in Decines where the faces and characters were out of a movie. We enjoyed kebabs while the afternoon sun streamed through the windows and the old men gathered to play cards and backgammon. Arto entertained us with his humour and thoughts on life and we washed it all down with a lovely "tan" and Armenian coffee to follow. Monday morning was a visit to Radio Armenie which was a lot of fun. The girls who interviewed us were an absolute pleasure to work with and I was so happy to hear that you could switch on the radio anytime in Lyon and hear Armenian music. What a priviledge! Thanks to my friend Jean Charle who organised the interview for me and also took me to a divine lunch and showed me the impressive view of Lyon from the cathedral and the old Roman ampitheatre...I would love to see a summer show there. I found the Armenians in Lyon warm and friendly. I hope I will have a chance to return and perhaps present some of my own work there.
So! Back to the English grind...practising oud, playing guitar, piano, singing, thinking, writing, being....It's a good time. It seems I've been invited to participate in Mosaic II - a concert in LA next January. That should be a nice opportunity to be back in the US and also catch up with some of the other artists that I know will be there - not to mention my 30 something cousins in LA!! Hayde......Zanku chicken here I come....
Things seems to be rising through the fabric - weaving into some form of an unknown exciting journey that will keep life the way I felt it is meant to be lived. This month I am on the Australian newsletter called Armenian Happenings which is a very informative piece of email by the way! How do those Ozzies find out about everything way over there?? Well done and thanks for the info.
My space seems to be a new discovery of mine thanks to a lot of friends urging I get myself up there. For those of you who are interested you can have a look www.myspace.com/sonyavaroujianmusic. And as for London - May 19th is looking like a likely date for a concert - I shall keep you posted. It's good to be alive with Spring ahead. So pleased the school is coming along in the village and hopefully there will be reason to go to Armenia in the near future. Ahhhh - but who needs a reason for Armenia??? :)
Peace
S
Thank you immensely to those who contributed to this renovation project in the village of Marts. There is still work to be done but with Spring around the corner the village will get back into action . I will continue with updated photos as I receive them.
So Lyon was phenomenal as expected. The good old favourites of mine (The Armenian Navy Band) were as good as ever. I got to hear them play the Natural Seeds album for the first time and also heard an accapella version of Bzdik Zinvor which I had never done. Arto sang while the entire rest of the Navy Band held one note like a duduk in the background. Each and every concert is unique and it is always so exciting to see what they come up with. A thanks to Arman Jelalyan and Vahagn Hayrapetyan (drummer and keyboardist) for their rhythmic dancing during the Arto signature beer bottle and saucepan rendition....It was a sight not to be forgotten. I got to explore Lyon with them as well as visit the Armenian Centre in Decines where the faces and characters were out of a movie. We enjoyed kebabs while the afternoon sun streamed through the windows and the old men gathered to play cards and backgammon. Arto entertained us with his humour and thoughts on life and we washed it all down with a lovely "tan" and Armenian coffee to follow. Monday morning was a visit to Radio Armenie which was a lot of fun. The girls who interviewed us were an absolute pleasure to work with and I was so happy to hear that you could switch on the radio anytime in Lyon and hear Armenian music. What a priviledge! Thanks to my friend Jean Charle who organised the interview for me and also took me to a divine lunch and showed me the impressive view of Lyon from the cathedral and the old Roman ampitheatre...I would love to see a summer show there. I found the Armenians in Lyon warm and friendly. I hope I will have a chance to return and perhaps present some of my own work there.
So! Back to the English grind...practising oud, playing guitar, piano, singing, thinking, writing, being....It's a good time. It seems I've been invited to participate in Mosaic II - a concert in LA next January. That should be a nice opportunity to be back in the US and also catch up with some of the other artists that I know will be there - not to mention my 30 something cousins in LA!! Hayde......Zanku chicken here I come....
Things seems to be rising through the fabric - weaving into some form of an unknown exciting journey that will keep life the way I felt it is meant to be lived. This month I am on the Australian newsletter called Armenian Happenings which is a very informative piece of email by the way! How do those Ozzies find out about everything way over there?? Well done and thanks for the info.
My space seems to be a new discovery of mine thanks to a lot of friends urging I get myself up there. For those of you who are interested you can have a look www.myspace.com/sonyavaroujianmusic. And as for London - May 19th is looking like a likely date for a concert - I shall keep you posted. It's good to be alive with Spring ahead. So pleased the school is coming along in the village and hopefully there will be reason to go to Armenia in the near future. Ahhhh - but who needs a reason for Armenia??? :)
Peace
S
posted by Sonya Varoujian at 3:36 PM
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